It's Just Good Business Sense
by storyteller362
Summary: Rikki Chadwick had left the gold coast in search of her calling. Combined with her cousin and new friend they start looking for treasures and secrets at the bottom of the ocean. Now would be the time to tell them about her mermaid secret, right? Please review!


**Authors Note: so, in Mako Mermaids Rikki comes at the end of the third season as a treasure hunter. I really like this idea they had for. Because she has a good business sense and be able to use her magic and such to make her path and yea. They mentioned in the episode that she had collected large items too and if you remember the episode In Over Our Heads, she couldn't exactly pull a large item up by herself so I figured maybe a team helped her. Thus, this story is born. **

**I wanted to include her dad but using him was kind of like using an original character already so I used an original character instead. He is mentioned and the events of In Over Our Heads a couple of times so check it out. **

**Please review! **

Rikki Chadwick knew what she was doing. She had started a successful business as a treasure hunter rescuing items from sunken ships all over the world. Although she might be a little over her head as she and her team had their eye on their biggest find yet. A prized Tibetan monk statue that sunk in the Indian ocean decades ago. It was closer to Australia then it was to Asia at this point. How it got there she didn't know but it didn't matter.

She only sighed and looked at her phone knowing what she had to do. She had waited for so long on telling her team exactly what she was. In fact, she would probably never tell them if she didn't need help getting the big stuff out. Closing her eyes and biting her lip Rikki knew what she had to do.

"Oi Mark," said Rikki calling for her teammate. "Get Christy, we have a hunt."

Mark Olsen rushed over from the docks phone already out and in his hands a map. Perfect just what they needed to start a search. She only shook her head confused, how long had he been waiting for her to call.

"Does this mean we finally get to see you in the water?" he asked preparing the boat.

"Hmm, I'll think about it."

He just shook his head and looked up and down her body. She snorted knowing exactly what was going to come out of his mouth next. Her team teased her about it all the time and yea, it was just expected. Mark shared a look with her other friend before having an outburst.

"You're shark girl. Shark girl, that's why we don't see you in the water," said Mark looking at Rikki. "I mean come on you grow gills and a fin on your back and you become shark girl, right?"

Now that was one reason, she was kind of friends with him not mention the other part of their relationship. He never took anything too seriously and most probably wouldn't believe it if she told him anything. Mark had gotten his degree in oceanography with classes in bathymetry, a fancy way of saying mapping the ocean floor. In essence, he was perfect for this job.

"Please be quiet before I tell aunt Donna that you still pick on me like we were back when we were ten." She smirked at her cousin as he just rolled his eyes. Forget cousins they might as well be brother and sister at the rate he teased her.

They kicked off the dock and started toward the coordinates. Maybe she could abandon him to fend for himself, she thought, with a small laugh. Rikki never would but the thought was kind of funny. The boat was perfect for storing any small items that they might get and of course the big-ticket item.

Next to her she looked at Christine with a sharp idea. Could she trust her new friend? How long had she really known her not to tell anyone? The girl had good credentials to be helping her. She priced the antiques, found buyers or homes for items in museums. Any remaining items they were going to have their own showings.

Combined with her good business sense and degree plus no-nonsense attitude she had a good team. So, she decided by choice that she would have to tell them, eventually right?

"Okay so we have to dive pretty far down for this," said Christine as she looked at the equipment. "We might not be able to make it. Are you sure that you want to try this Rikki?"

Not really, she thought, knowing that this would mean her secret would be exposed to two more people. Then again, she had the nerve to trust Zane, whom honestly kept her secret. Pursing her lips, she closed her eyes for a moment and nodded.

"Yes, besides you deserve to know my secret. No, I'm not shark girl I really regret seeing that movie with you and your younger sister now."

Mark just smirked as they got closer and closer to the point. She took in the salty air as it swayed in the breeze behind her. It was like being at home every time she got into the water. Rikki looked around to only find water for as far as the eye could see. At least now they couldn't run as they stopped the boat.

Christine and Mark had started to get themselves into wet suits and the scuba gear attached. Curiously they watched her, but Rikki didn't really reach for it. The plan was going to be simple, they jumped in at the same time and then show off. After all that was Emma showed Ash then Bella 'showed' Will.

Content with her plan she let the two of them get into the water next.

"Um Rikki?" asked Christine.

"We didn't scare you off, did we?" asked Mark with a teasing tone in his voice.

Smirking she just closed her eyes and hopped into the water as it was. She didn't see the possible bewildered looks on their faces until she opened her eyes. Her legs fused together, and the familiar magical warmth pulsed through her veins.

The coolness of the water calmed her as she went fishing. Well not exactly fishing but in search of artifacts. There were so many unexplored parts of the ocean that she wanted to look at. Not to mention she made money doing this. The blond thought back to the time she found something with Zane before. Although the mention of her ex-boyfriend made her roll her eyes.

Opening her crystal-clear blue eyes, she could see Mark's mouth drop open and Christine bobbing up and down her tank keeping her afloat. There was an extra weird wide grin on Mark's face. Then flabbergasted as they shared looks with each other. Then looked down at the golden tail.

Rikki smirked and flipped around a bit showing off. She couldn't help it since this was her element.

"Uhhh you saw that, too right?" asked Mark to Christine.

"Come on guys," said Rikki. "Now that you know we go down and get this thing."

"Are you sure that we shouldn't talk about this first?" asked Christine her green eyes still practically bugged out. "Hello, you have a tail."

"Later," she said, "I promise."

Together they grabbed the flotation device and dropped it into the water. They would ignite the balloons and pull up the statue safely. It was the better version of the thing that she had used way back when she first got that money. It had work until they had something slightly better.

Mark had done much of the heavy lifting as Rikki and Christine started to salvage the statue off the bottom of the ocean. It was about 90 meters down which where it was darker and bit colder then usual. Both of her friends had turned and looked at her who didn't seem to know what to make of this.

Finally surfacing the three of them broke waves.

"Okay that is beyond amazing," said Christine.

Once that statue was back on the boat did the turn to look at Rikki.

"One more, I saw another when I was down there," she said. "Please?"

Sighing Christine and Mark did just that one more statue, the rest would be easy to gather up. Gathering up her confidence she had created a wall of warm water with her powers when she saw the sharks reaching to surface level. Which her friends also had to have seen as well.

Finally, finally, did they have both statues on the boat as they were driving back to land. Rikki had dried herself off in front of them leaving them just as stunned as before. However, she did hear Mark mutter a cool underneath his breath. They were going to be in Perth just before the sunset she hoped.

With Mark driving Christine was looking over at the second statue and then down at her book. Curious Rikki peered over her friends' shoulder.

"Think the second is any good?" she asked sheepishly unsure how they would react.

Christine wiped her long brown braid behind her back and turned to face her. A hard look turned soft before sitting down. Rikki sat down next to her ready to hear the pros and cons.

"Yea Rikki about that," said Christine snapping her book closed and peered at her with a curious look on her face. "Are you sure about this?" I mean this is big deal. Sold properly this could fetch up to millions it'd really get us noticed on an international scale. Are you sure we should really sell this? I mean this is your secret we're exploiting and a very physical job. Your psychological and emotional health is important to us."

She had sent a frustrated look over at her blond friend.

Rikki just closed her eyes thinking about it now. She wasn't sure that it was that big until she said millions. That felt really good to hear thinking about expanding their business. They had donated a lot so far but nothing that really broke even.

Mark had turned off the boat for a minute as she felt the rocking slowly stop.

"Yea when exactly were you going to tell us? I mean I'm pretty sure that uncle Terry doesn't even know," said Mark. "Besides Christine's right, we are exploiting this secret of yours."

Rikki held up a hand in defense. "Technically you're not because I'm making money too. Listen I'd like to tell you how this happened but it's just complicated and it's not something that can be easily fixed."

"Good because if you're okay with it, I'm hoping that we can gather stuff together like this for a long time," said Mark. "Maybe you can show me instead of telling…"

Rolling her eyes Rikki lightly smacked him on the shoulder. "Ow!"

"I'm not going to show or tell you how. You're insufferable enough now, imagine what you be like with powers and a tail," said Rikki pointedly. Mark merely just shrugged it was worth a shot of course.

"I agree," said Christine smirking herself as Rikki gave her a light high five.

"Hey!"

"I mean the less we know the better. I don't care if you gained a tail by throwing yourself in pit of magical mud or whatever. It's less questions that we can actually answer," said Christine. "Alright I ask again, are you sure about this?"

Rikki took in a long breath before letting it out. She had plans of making it this big. She had taken the money her dad had invested in her business from her first search and rescue with Zane. Boy was she an idiot then but now she could get this to work to her advantage.

Biting her lip, she turned to her friends and the words came out first.

"Nope but I do have an idea. We sell it and if it goes for as big as you say it is, we pocket half and invest the other half into our own business. We could get a bigger boat for example."

Okay that was easy enough to explain as it seemed to click in Mark and Christine's minds.

"Nicer equipment," said Mark seeing the bigger picture.

"More research materials," said Christine. "Okay I'm in but you start to tire out we are helping you out of the water and forcing you to relax."

Mark nodded at her showing that he agreed. "We're here for you, we got this. I even have an idea already."

"What idea?' asked Rikki incredulously. "Nothing that involves me in the water."

"No no I mean a book deal. We make money off that too along with anything else that we sell and can't donate and such. We could call it Mysteries of the Deep or Secrets from the Abyss."

Rikki snorted and burst into a small laugh while Christine just looked at him disapprovingly.

"You know it takes like ten years to publish a book, right?" she asked doubtfully.

"Then we should get started!"

Christine rolled her eyes and turned to Rikki pointing to her cousin. "Did he always sound a Disney character?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. I mean Rikki's a fricken mermaid that can do a cool boiling water trick. No wonder we haven't seen her in the water before."

Rikki had ignored their bickering and had turned to get some drinks out of the cooler. She passed them out snapping them back to attention. They looked at her expectantly and just grinned. Now they were in the big leagues.

"Let's just toast to good investments okay? It sounds like our business has a bright future ahead of us even though we may bicker at times."

They held their water bottles up and clicked the caps against each other. "To good investments."

With that they drank to a happy future this was a business deal of a lifetime. It just took good investments and a leap of faith.


End file.
